Subponica: Episode 17; Enzyme 42
By Terrarian Pony WARNING: Content of this story may include violence, gore, romance, same gender romance, ponies, references to several video games, and possibly PINKIE PIE! If anypony is offended by any of the content listed above, than please turn back now. You have been warned. Previously Next Story: Terrarian Pony presents... Subponica Episode 17 Enzyme 42 ... The Sea Emperor looked just like the forcefully hatched offspring in the incubation lab. Only this one was much, much bigger, and very much alive. Sapphire estimated about 160-200 meters. An full grown leviathan class creature. The Emperor swam around in an alien-made habitat, inhabited by quite a few creatures. Peepers, stalkers, boomerangs, sand sharks, bone sharks, and a few other creatures. Even the creatures that were usually hostile, weren't. One of the bone shark swam right up to Emerald and allowed her to pet it. Below them and all the sea creatures, was a bunch of seemingly placed sand, and sea flora. The Emperor stopped swimming, and rested atop a small hill, resting her tenticles along the sand bed. She looked curiously down at the blue pegasus, and the grey shark pony. Emerald:" Are you the Sea Emperor?" Sea Emperor: (Yes, I am. It has been so long since I have spoken to another who would listen. This is a pleasant change.) Sapphire:" So this is where you've lived? All this time?" Emerald:" You must have been so lonely." Sea Emperor: (Not entirely, these creatures swim with me, with the current. The question is... do you? Ah, but you have proven so much. You've made it this far... yet, one last trial awaits you.) The Emperor pointed a claw arm towards five ovalish shapes behind them. They all looked the same as the egg in one of the labs, but these haven't hatched yet. They were standing atop some sort of pedestals, which were connected to an alien terminal. Between the pedestals and the terminal was a small chamber, big enough to fit an ion cube.Sapphire pulled one out, and it immediately sucked it in, turning on the terminal behind them. The Sea Emperor swam overhead, and landed near a pile of sand, cover what looked like an archway. She took a deep breath, and then blew away the sand, revealing the entire archway, and another ion cube chamber. But Sapphire was all out of ion cubes, and she was low on oxygen. As she went back up for air, Emerald searched the area for another ion cube. She found one sitting somewhere on top of an alien pedestal in a spot with no sand, and just as Sapphire was returning, she inserted the cube into the chamber. The archway flashed, and some sort of green portal appeared inside it. Sea Emperor: (The ones that trapped me here, have failed to obtain what they seeked. To you, I give it willingly. You must first create a potion of hatching. You require a ghost weed, a piece of eyestalk, some fungus, a piece of bulb bush, and a sea crown. Mix these together to create the potion, and place it into the incubator. My children will then produce the cure you seek for the entire ocean.) Sapphire:" The entire ocean will be cured?" Sea Emperor: (Some animals will remain sick. There is nothing you can do for them. But the rest of the ocean will be protected.) Jesse:" I have memorized the ingredients for the potion of hatching you will need. I advise speaking with Ruby Rest about locations." Sapphire:" Speaking of which... my marefriend... Ruby. She's falling ill quickly. Is there anyway we can slow down the infection while we find these ingrediants?" Sea Emperor: (These waters will slow her dying. But she has not much time. You must be swift.) ... Everypony helped Ruby into the Emperor's containment. Sapphire noticed now that Emerald's skin was starting to grow green boils, but Emerald told her not to worry, since she still had a lot if time. Everypony gasped at the size of the Emperor. Sapphire:" Ruby, do you know where to find all these ingredients?" Ruby:" I... I've seen them... before. When I was... searching with Jenny. Those ingredients... I've kept them all in our sea base." Sapphire sighed in relief. Knowing that she wouldn't have to look far for most of the ingredients made her feel better about saving Ruby. Emerald:" I'll stay with her, mommy. You go find the things while I stay to give momma air." Sapphire:" Heh... good girl." She kissed the little filly on the head. The little filly let out a cough, another green spot starting to appear on her left forehoof. She felt sad, and scared. But at the same time she was hopeful. She knew her mommy would save her, even if Sapphire wasn't her real mommy, she always felt like she was. The shark pony filly hugged her tight before Sapphire took off into the green portal with her seaglider. Everypony else stayed behind with Ruby and the Sea Emperor. ... As Sapphire reached the other side of the portal, she felt disoriented, like she was going to throw up right in her helmet. But she quickly swallowed it, as not to impair her vision. She then saw a familiar sea base, and realized she was at the moutain beach where the quarantine enforcement platform stood. Here, she thought of Argyle. She was so angry at him for what he had done to Show Buster, but she would not allow herself to dwell on that. She began to seaglide past the moutain island, and stopped when she heard a familiar, ear splitting, spine chilling roar. There was no mistaking that sound. She kept going forward, not looking back. Behind her, were four large mandibles, each one still intact. It clearly wasn't the one that Ruby had injured before, which probably made it more dangerous. Sapphire flapped her wings in the water to swim faster, but the four mandibles still managed to grasp onto one of her legs. It was only slightly more comforting to know that her new swimming gear was armored. Another chilling roar came from the beast, as it pulled her towards itself. Sapphire turned the seaglide towards it, set it to automatic, and let go of it. The seaglide lauched from her hooves into the monster's gaping maw, which caused it to let go of her leg. She frantically began to swim away again towards a kelp forest as her seaglide was crushed between the jaws of the reaper. It then let out another roar, and swam angrily towards her. She turned towards it for a slight second, and froze in horror, knowing that she couldn't outswim that kind of anger. The reaper was just about to embrace her with it's mandibles again until... SLAM! Another reaper appeared just before ot coukd reach her, and slammed into the hostile reaper. The The injured reaper roared at her, telling her to go, while it held the other one down. She nodded, and began to swim in the other direction, hoping that her savior woukd be alright. There was some comfort in knowing that the injured reaper was saving her from certain doom. ... When Sapphire got back to her sea base, she found the seamoth parked outside. Did Argyle return it after stealing it? She headed inside the base, and searched through all of the lockers for the ingredients she needed. Once she found them, she went over to the fabricator. Sapphire:" Hatching potion!" The fabricator consumed her ingredients, and began to fabricate a small, white potion. Enzyme 42. This was it. The cure. She then came out of her sea base, and into the seamoth. There was a note on the stearing wheel. Sorry for the hit-and-run. But you know... survival and all that. Plus I fixed up the seamoth. But think about it. Later we'll look back at this day, and have a good laugh. Am I right? -Argyle Show Buster and Jenny certainly weren't laughing, Sapphire thought. She tore up the note, and began driving the seamoth. Suddenly, a flash of light, and a warper appeared. Then another, and another... Were they all attacking at once? Sapphire floored the peddle in the seamoth to go as fast as she could. But they were just as fast. They all kept summoning creatures that would attack her, and she kept dodging them. Sea Dragon's breath couldn't stop her now. Not when she had the cure in her hooves. Eventually, she saw the portal, and drove right into it. ... They all arrived in a large cave tunnel. Apparently, nopony was supposed to know this place existed. And nopony did... until now. Luna lead them through the tunnel, as she talked over the sound of echoing hooves. Luna:" While it is true that the precursor race you are refering to were certainly creators of worlds, life, and many other things, there were more than one race of precursors. However, none of them directly influenced the fates of their own creations. They created each planet individually, and each race to become 'perfect'. Apparently, we were not perfect, but a setback that overpopulated, and grew to become destructive. That is... before Equestria was made. Do you remember the tale of Discord? His kind were once part of a precursor race. But we do not know the reason why Discord is the last draconequus. Or maybe he isn't. Perhaps they are in a different world. Whatever the reason, Discord is the only one in Equestria. At first we thought Discord's magic was behind all this chaos, but we checked, and his magic has not influenced any of our subjects in the past four years. Unfortunately, not even he is able to make Equestria normal again. It can only happen if we rebuild on our own." They stopped at a pair of tall, golden doors at the end of the tunnel. Luna used her magic to open them, revealing a rather large cannon, made from the same material as the precursor facilities. Besides the cannon, there was nothing else in the room. The cannon had three arms that looked like solar panels attached, and it was still glowing with energy after all these years. Sapphire:" This is it? This is the weapon that Grimshield wanted?" Luna:" Yes. This is the destroyer of life. We call it, 'Judgement'. Fitting, is it not?" Sapphire:" I don't really care what it's called... more that it gets destroyed." Emerald:" Don't worry, Mommy! Me and Jason will destroy that thing in no time at all! Right, Jason?" Jason:" Uhuh!" They two shark ponies went over to the cannon, and started hearing inaudible voices. They couldn't understand what those voices were saying, but they knew what the voices wanted. The two foals looked at each other, holding hooves to support each other, closed their eyes, and reached out their other hooves towards the cannon. The cannon began to glow, and so did the shark pony foals. But they didn't seem to notice, as they were only focused on one thing. Destroying the cannon. Alistar:" NO! I WILL YOU NOT LET YOU DESTROY YEARS OF SEARCHING!" Alistar, and many of his still loyal followers stood in the door way. Sapphire:" You won't be destroying any planets while we're here!" Ruby:" You can count on that!" Night Owl:" We'll fight you if we have to." Alistar:" Really? When my soldiers have all they guns!?" Luna:" Stand down, Grimshield. This is your last warning." Alistar:" Princess Luna. You should have given me the weapon. I could have stopped the war!" Luna:" You killed my sister! That's why things came to be this way! I should have your head for your treachery!" Alistar grinned widely. Alistar:" You may want to save that guillotine for somepony who deserves it. I am only trying to make the world a better place. Now let me through." Sapphire, Ruby, Night Owl and Luna stood their ground. Alistar yawned. Alistar:" Very well. Kill them. But keep the aliens alive. I still need them." The law ponies pointed their weapons at them. Sapphire felt Ruby hold her hoof, clearly trying to keep herself from being scared. They both closed their eyes, as the first shot was fired. ... Sapphire came through the portal with the seamoth, and hurried towards the terminal. Her friends and Emerald swam down to her with hopeful looks on their faces. Sapphire placed the potion into a slot in the terminal, and the affects happened seconds later. The eggs began to crack, and tiny Sea Emperor juveniles began to crawl out of the eggs. Sapphire's eyes were huge in amazement, just as everypony elses. They began to swim towards their mother, and one even began to rub up against her. Emerald danced around one of them curiously, and giggled. Emerald:" They're soooo cute!" Sapphire scanned one of them, and it let her. Suddenly, the Sea Emperor children began to release small globs of golden particals into the water. Sapphire swam up to one of them, and put her hoof into it. When she pulled her hoof out, some of it was still attached to her. She tried to rub it off with her other hoof, but it spread their too, and it begun to spread to her entire body. Ruby:" S-sapphire... you're... you're glowing." Suddenly, the glowing stopped, and her body absorbed the enzyme. She scanned herself immediately. Jesse:" Scan complete. Your vitals are normal, and there is no sign of the Kharaa bacterium in your system." Sapphire:" Everypony! Touch these little globby things. They seem to be concetrated bubbles of enzyme 42." Terrarian and Emerald helped Ruby to reach one of the glowing bubbles, and the same thing that happened to Sapphire happened to her, and her spots began to go away. And then Emerald's... then everypony elses. After all that work... finally, they had a cure. The small Sea Emperors began to swim towards the portal. Sea Emperor: (My young are swimming for the shallows. I thank you. Their freedom is my end. What will it be like, I wonder, to go to sleep and never wake up? Perhaps next we meet I will be an ocean current, carrying seeds to a new land... Or a creature so small it sees the gaps between the grains of sand. Farewell, friends.) Emerald panicked. Emerald:" Y-you're dying! B-but... you've helped us so much! You can't die!" Sapphire held her close. Sapphire:" She's getting too old to live. It happens to everyone at some point in time." Emerald:" B-but... but..." She so desperately wanted to cry. But she was underwater, and she wouldn't feel her tears on her face, no matter how much she tried. Emerald:" But I have so many questions! I want to know more about my people! And... and... you helped us, so you can't... you don't deserve to die! You deserve to live!" She put her hooves over her face, sad that there would be, yet another death on this world. Sea Emperor: (Do not cry for me, young child. Your friendship was all I needed. I am glad we met. Your kind were so gentle, yet so vulnerable. I enjoyed each of your presences. Still, I have life left for a few hours. I would be delighted if you stayed 'til then.) Emerald looked at her mother with such pleading eyes. Sapphire smiled. She had nowhere else pressing to be. A few more hours wouldn't hurt. ... The first shot was heard, and something hard hitting the ground. For some reason this startled all the law ponies in front of them. Sapphire and Ruby opened their eyes, and saw why. It wasn't their own heads that were blown off, but it was corporal Grimshield's. From his decapitated neck lay a pool of blood. Argyle, Clover, Terrarian and Morning Star were all attacking the law ponies. It came at such a surprise, the law ponies were quickly losing, and the remaining ones quickly surrendered, begging for mercy. Morning:" Dang Argyle, you really are as crazy as they say, aren't you?" Argyle:" Crazy? No. Paranoid? A little. I'm a survivor, that's all you need to know." Luna:" More friends of yours?" Night Owl smiled sheepishly. They all looked towards the cannon, which was now glowing more and more. Emerald and Jason backed away, and Ruby pulled them close with her magic. Sapphire:" We have to get out of here!" Night Owl:" This way!" ... As they escaped the palace, a huge explosion happened behind them, bringing Canterlot Castle down. The entire structure was now collapsing in on itself. There was certainly no way Judgement survived that. Right? ... Finally, they've returned back to Alterra headquarters. The ship was finally prepared for take off once again. Sapphire:" Simon, did you get the information I asked for?" Simon:" I'm afraid there wasn't much. I hacked into everything, and there was only one file on the ancient precursors. But I also managed to grab all of my equiptment for making fabricator blueprints. We could make totally new gadgets and gizmos when we return to planet 4546B. I also have some interesting information you may want to look at when we get back, Sapphire. Something about you." Sapphire:" About me?" Night Owl:" Hey Sapphire... I gotta talk to you." Sapphire:" What's up?" Night Owl:" There isn't any easy way to say this, 'cause your my friend, and I'm not good with words... but I'm not going back to the other planet with you guys." Ruby:" What? Why?" Night Owl:" I have to stay here, and help rebuild order. My mission is to keep ponies safe. I can't very well do that if I leave Equestria." Emerald hugged the yellow pegasus's foreleg. Emerald:" We understand. It's okay." Night Owl smiled down at her. Sapphire:" You're right. Your ponies need you." Argyle:" I'm gonna stick around, too. This is clearly my kind of Equestria. I mean, riots, and unfriendly bonfires, and gangs. These are my kind of ponies!" Sapphire rolled her eyes. Zena snorted. Emerald just thought he was really weird. Sapphire:" Is everypony ready to depart?" Everypony:" Ready!" Everypony except Luna, Argyle, and Night Owl climbed aboard the rocket. Not too long later, they took off into space. TO BE CONTINUED... Category:Content (Terrarian Pony) Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfiction (Fanon) Category:Genre (Crossover) Category:Fanfiction (Series)